Never like this
by seriouslywhy
Summary: Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy are the new Hogwarts Heads. What happens when they have to learn to live with other. One shot.


**September 26****th****, 21:15, a corridor**

Hermione Granger was walking down an empty corridor. It was a quarter to nine, which made him fifteen minutes late.

"Malfoy, I swear, one of these days—" she muttered, but her sentence was cut in half. She thought she had heard someone moving behind a suit of armor. She quickly took out her wand, for good measure, and approached it.

As she got closer, she heard heavy breathing and cursed mentally. _Not another couple,_ she thought to herself. Who is it this time?

Lavender and MacLaggen? She vaguely recalled Ginny telling her that they had broken up. Why, she couldn't remember. Something about him being a rebound guy or something equally silly. She wasn't paying much attention; she hadn't asked for the information anyway. School gossip was the last thing she was interested in, especially in her seventh year. Balancing her homework, Head duties, and finding comebacks to Malfoy 's insults didn't leave much time to keep up with the "who's dating whom" s.

The people behind the armor hadn't realized her presence, as they were somewhat preoccupied, until Hermione practically shoved her wand's now lighting tip into the boy's eye.

She should have been sorry, but honestly? She was proud of herself.

"Are you bloody mad, Granger?" said the boy angrily, pulling away from the girl that Hermione realized was a Ravenclaw fifth-year.

"Serves you well" she answered coldly. "You were supposed to meet me twenty minutes ago!"

"Fifteen. If you want to yell at me, at least be precise"

"That doesn't matter! What matters is that—"

"Draco, what's going on? Is she your girlfriend?"said the girl. Hermione had almost forgotten about her.

"No!" they both said in unison, horror and disgust apparent on their faces.

"You know for a Ravenclaw, you can be pretty thick" Draco said.

The girl let out a gasp and looked at him in surprise. Then she gave him a loud slap, turned her back at him and left, without even looking at Hermione.

"Well, she had to go anyway" Malfoy said casually, as if they were having a friendly chat and he hadn't just been slapped across the face.

"Malfoy, really, that's low, even for you. You were just kissing the girl, and quite passionately I'm guessing, since I heard you all the way from down the hall. How can you insult her the moment you stop having your tongue in her mouth?"

"There is one simple answer to the question you so delicately put, Granger; I don't care"

"You don't care? What do you mean you don't care?"

"I mean that Anna—Abbey? Amy" he said, trying to remember her name. "Yes, Amy has had a thing for me for a long time now. So, she found me about twenty minutes ago, as I was on my way to meet you for the patrol—"

"And, let me guess, she dragged you all the way to here, and forced you to kiss her for twenty minutes?" Hermione ended his sentence, in the most sarcastic voice she could manage.

"It's like you were there" said Draco innocently."Now, you can go on with your patrol and I shall go have a shower."

"Come off it Malfoy" Hermione said, fed up with his irresponsibility. "Not only you don't show up when we're supposed to be patrolling the castle for students outside their common rooms, but I discover you are one of them! AND you are snogging a girl behind an armor, whose name you can't even remember—"

"Yes ,I can" he said. "The armor's name's Steve."

A red light shot out from Hermione's wand and threw Malfoy on the floor. He wasn't quick enough; he had barely gotten his wand out when Hermione flicked hers again and it was now flying its way to her open palm. After she caught his wand, she put the tip of hers under his chin.

"Now listen to me, you evil, disgusting, vile cockroach" she said, her voice dripping venom.

"You say that like it's a bad thing" he said, looking as comfortable as always.

"You will go find that girl right now and apologize!"

"I don't know what parallel universe you find yourself in in your free time Granger, but I'd never do that in the real world"

"You know what Malfoy? You're a lost cause" she said, and after throwing his wand back on his face, she turned her back and started to walk away.

"We're supposed to be patrolling, Granger!" he yelled as he got to his feet. "You're the responsible one; where are you going? "

"As far away from you as possible!" she yelled back, not slowing down for even a second.

Malfoy smirked. "That works for both of us" he said.

**November 19****th****, 13:30, outside the Great Hall**

"Hermione"

"What?"

"Have you noticed anything weird about Malfoy lately?"

"Malfoy? Ginny, why on Merlin's name would you bring him up right before lunch?"

"Harry says he's been awfully quiet for the past weeks"

"I'm gonna have to talk to Harry about that. Just because he is an evil, ridiculous, loathsome excuse of a person—"

"You're talking about me again, Granger?" Malfoy appeared out of nowhere and was now walking next to her.

"I am extremely flattered. Who wouldn't be moved by those words? An evil loathsome excuse of a person, you say?"

"You forgot ridiculous, I think" Ginny said.

"Weasley, still at Hogwarts, I see? I expected you parents' money would have run out by now. Hasn't the number of your brothers hit double digits yet?"

"Ginny, no" Hermione said, putting her hand up to stop Ginny who was ready to give him her comeback. "There are people watching. Besides, he really isn't worth it" She grabbed her wrist and widened their pace, leaving Draco behind, smirking at himself.

**December 14****th****, 18:25, castle grounds**

"I think you like him" said Ginny, avoiding a snowball at the last minute and adjusting her cap.

"You are out of your mind" Hermione said.

"Hermione, it's obvious. The only reason you fight all the time is because there is unresolved tension between you"

"No Ginny. The reason Malfoy and I fight all the time is because he isn't capable of using any other way to communicate with people"

"Aha!" she said triumphantly, throwing a snow ball at the fourth year that had aimed for her before. "So you admit that he may like you!"

"When did I do that?" Hermione replied, puzzled.

"Well, you say he only communicates through fighting. You two do nothing but fight. Actually, you're the only person he's constantly fighting with. Ergo, you're only fighting because he can't find a way to show his feelings like a normal person!"

"I wish I could make you understand how wrong you are. Hey!" she exclaimed, as she felt a snowball land at the back of her head. She turned around, and saw Harry running towards her .

"Do it Ron!" He yelled, an ear to ear grin on his face, as he was already making a new ball. Ron immediately responded by throwing a large snowball to his sister. Hermione smiled and started making one on her own. "Oh, you're going to regret it, Harry Potter! Ginny, let's go!"

And thus began the biggest snow ball fight ever held in the history of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

At first, only a few of their fellow Gryffindors joined them. Lavender, Parvati, Dean and Seamus. Then Neville came, hand in hand with Luna, and she yelled at some of her classmates to join. Padma Patille told a little Ravenclaw first year to go call everyone that had stayed in their common room to come outside, and Ernie McMillan followed her example.

No one noticed when the Slytherins joined the party, but for the first time, they were part of the group. It wasn't them against anyone else; it was an odd feeling.

When someone walked out of the castle, the only thing they saw was snow balls flying all over the place. One by one, they all joined in, and the "fight" became even more intense and fun. Soon enough, the castle was evacuated and the only ones not joining the game were the Professors.

They were watching either from the gate, or through the windows, laughing with all their hearts.

It is said that even Severus Snape momentarily smiled before returning to his office in the dungeons.

**December 20****th****, 10:00, Hogwarts Gate **

"You can always come stay at the Burrow. I mean, Harry' s coming"

"That's very kind of you Ron, but I'm gonna have to stay here" Hermione replied.

"Why? You've always joined us! What changed now?"

"I already told you, Harry. I promised my parents to stay at school this year and revise. That's why I'm not joining them in the first place. We've got NEWTs coming up, remember?"

"As if you'd let us forget! " Harry replied.

"Shut up" she said, and punched him lightly on the shoulder.

"Guys, it's no use trying to convince her. She obviously has her reasons for staying here" Ginny said and hugged Hermione.

"Not the ones you want me to have" Hermione whispered over her shoulder, so that the boys wouldn't hear.

"Yeah right" Ginny replied and pulled back. She got her suitcase and put in the horseless carriage that had just stopped in front of them. Ron followed her example and sat to the seat opposite to her. Harry looked at the carriage hesitantly.

"Go on then!" she told him, giving him a smile. "I bet Mrs. Weasley had already started working on tonight's dinner"

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" he said, in a last attempt to make her change her mind.

"I can't come, Harry. Don't worry, you'll all get your presents" she joked. She had really started to feel uncomfortable. Why couldn't they just accept that she couldn't go? They were making it harder on her, too.

Harry smiled and got on the carriage.

"Bye then! Say hi to everyone for me" she told them.

"Merry early Christmas, Hermione" Ron said.

"To you too, Ronald" she replied.

She waved at them as the carriage started to roll away.

"I'll sent you a letter!" shouted Harry; he obviously felt really guilty leaving her behind. "And so will Ginny!"

She smiled. She waved one more time and then started to make her way back to the castle.

_Christmas alone ,_she thought as walked towards her common room._ Huh. _

"Well, it's certainly going to be something new" she whispered to herself. She was almost there.

"Talking to yourself, Granger? I should warn you now, it is not a good sign for your mental health"

_Crap. _Hermione thought. It was one of the few times she had let herself curse_. And somehow they are all connected to Malfoy._

He came from behind her and walked a small distance from her.

"Malfoy, are you following me?"

"Don't fool yourself, Granger" he snorted, stopping in front of the portrait whole.

"Password, dears?" said the lady in the painting. Hermione ignored her.

"Then how come I can't have a moment's peace? You always show up out of nowhere!" The uneasy feeling that had come over her when she saw the carriage going away with all of her closest friends in it had evaporated. Anger took it' s place; Malfoy had a special talent to eliminate all other feelings except rage.

"I can assure you it is not intentional. You think I want to see your face wherever I go?"

"Then why don't you just ignore me and move on with your life?" she said, her voice getting more high pitched than usual, giving away her anger and frustration.

"Because, Granger" he said, approaching her. Their faces now only inches apart, his silver eyes boring into hers. "Ignoring you does not have _this_ result" He stayed like that for a second, looking at her astonished face. Then, smirking, he turned to the lady in the portrait that was looking at them strangely. "Amortentia"

The door swung open and he stepped in. Hermione blinked , and shook her head. She followed him in, and then almost yelled at him.

"You know Malfoy, you have a talent in making people get mad out of their wits!"

"It's a quality of mine I take pride in" He said, and then closed the door to his room, leaving a very frustrated and unsettled Hermione alone in their shared common room.

**December 25****th****, 10:15, Hermione's room**

Hermione was putting on a simple pair of jeans and a red sweater, getting ready to leave for the Great Hall for breakfast. There would be no studying today; five days spent almost exclusively in the library were enough for now. She would have to find some other way to keep herself occupied.

"Christmas morning. Ten o'clock and not as much as a letter from any of them" she said to herself, and then remembered what Malfoy had said the day before about her speaking when no one else was around. The very thought of him was enough to get her worked up and ready to duel.

"Granger!" she heard him say from the other side of the door. She jumped at his voice. A feeling similar to tied knots in her stomach made her get angry at herself for a second. Then she decided to ignore it. He had just scared her,that's all.

He yelled out her name again.

"What on earth..?" she said. It was uncanny; she couldn't even think of him without him popping out of nowhere. She instinctively looked in the mirror and then gave herself a mental slap. This was all Ginny's fault.

"What do you want?" she told him angrily as she opened the door.

"Well, this confused, pathetic excuse of an owl flew into my room carrying two letters for you, but if you're going to be rude, I'm going to keep them"

She realized Pigwidgeon was flying around in the room and duck to avoid him hitting her head.

"Pig!" she exclaimed, a wide grin spreading across her face.

"I take it you recognize him?" he said sarcastically.

"Calm down ,Pig!" she told the owl. The little grey bird obediently stopped flying around the room and sat the table in front of the fireplace. Hermione approached him.

"But where are the—" she said, looking at Pig's legs; he wasn't carrying anything. "Malfoy!" She turned around to face him, hands crossed on her chest. She noticed he was wearing he was wearing just a simple black shirt and a black pair of pants that looked extremely expensive.

_He does look good, _she heard a voice inside her, that she decided was Ginny's.

_How can you think of such things? _The voice of logic replied inside her head.

"Granger, if you would wake up!" Malfoy' s voice brought her back to reality. He was holding the two letters in his hand. "I understand that you're daydreaming about me, I knew that since day one, but I would love it f you could get this annoying thing out of here"

"Don't kid yourself, ferret. Only a deranged person could daydream about you" she replied, hiding her embarrassment.

"Weren't you just talking to herself in there?" he smirked.

"Alright! That's enough!" she said. She jumped at him to get the letters out of his hand. His arm was soft, and his grip on her wrist was firm, but not painful.

"What are you doing?" he told her, losing his cool for the first time. He looked upset all of a sudden.

"Unhand me" she breathed, a little unsettled again, trying to draw her eyes away from his; it was the first time they'd had such close contact. _Ginny, I blame you for all of this, _she thought_._

"Never do that again" he said slowly, although his voice was softer than before.

"I wouldn't have done it if you had given me the letters" she said, still unable to break eye contact. There was something in his silver orbs so much different to anything she had ever seen before.

"Well, if that owl wasn't such an idiot, that would have never happened" his voice going back to his usual tone.

"Give them back"

"What is so special about them? They're just letters from Potter and Weasley" he asked, his body still pressed up against hers, his grip on her wrist tighter than before.

"I'm not going to explain to you why letters from the people you love are important" she wanted her voice to be cold, sarcastic, but it wouldn't come out that way.

"Come on Granger" he said, smirking. "Surprise me"

Seeing that smirk on his face made her almost come back to her senses, and she looked at him determined.

"Give them to me!" she told him, and she pushed him, trying to break away from his grip. But instead, she knocked him to the ground and landed on top of him.

_Well that wasn't supposed to happen,_ she thought.

"That was certainly a surprise" he muttered, looking quite upset.

_What are you waiting for, stupid? _The voice in her head spoke again, although now she wasn't sure if it was hers or Ginny's. She hastily tried to get herself up, and so did Malfoy. She stayed on her knees, to reassemble herself. He got up, the letters still in his hand, and stayed still, at the same spot. Hermione didn't dare look up at him, in fear that Ginny's voice would speak again. After a tense silence, she cleared her throat and said "Can I have them?"

He handed them to her in silence, still not moving an inch. "Um, thanks" she said awkwardly and then got up. She put the letters in her back pocket.

"Right, breakfast" she remembered, still not looking at him. She cleared her throat one more time to put her thoughts in order, and started to walk towards the portrait hole.

"Granger" she heard him say, and then felt his hand clutching her wrist again. He turned her around to face him, and after he cupped her face with his hands firmly, he kissed her.

It was the most passionate kiss Hermione had ever experienced. She thought her head was going to explode, and after the initial shock, she responded, equally excited. His lips were soft against hers at first, and they gave her a feeling unknown until that very moment. Eventually, the kiss deepened and she just let herself sink into it. Her stomach felt very odd, feelings she never knew she had popped up out of nowhere, much like he had been doing.

It was never like this with anyone. She remembered Victor. His kiss was firm and demanding, and although she had responded, she hadn't felt as if fireworks exploding inside her stomach. Ron's kiss had been awkward and gentle, fitting his personality. That kiss and the few that followed in the short period they'd been a couple made them realize their feelings for each other were nothing but platonic, and so they went on as friends.

She was never interested into anybody else; heck, until that morning she didn't even know she was interested In Draco Malfoy!

_Ginny won't shut up when I tell her,_ she thought. She smiled and continued to kiss him back with the same passion as before; she felt a little dizzy, and happiness rushed through her like a wave. Something she hadn't realized she had passionately desired had just been given to her and she wouldn't let it go for the world.

Draco broke off the kiss, pulling his face some inches away from hers. She looked at him. His eyes were softer and more welcoming than she had ever seen them, and the sound of his voice came out soft and calm, despite their heavy breathing.

"You know that Potter's gonna have a fit when he hears about this " he said, matter-of-factly.

"So what? I have nothing to worry about. It's you he's gonna punch in the nose."

Draco smiled. The first real smile Hermione had seen him give anyone spread across his face, lighting up his eyes and making his balanced features look more beautiful.

"Besides…who says he has to know?" she told him, with an air of mischief she had never had before.

"You know, for a Gryffindor…" he started calmly, scanning her face "you can be pretty chicken" he smiled again, finishing of his sentence.

Hermione remembered what he was talking about ."Oh, shut up" she told him, grinning despite herself, and leaned forward. He chuckled quietly before they locked lips again.

_There go the fireworks , _Hermione thought.

It was never like this with anyone.


End file.
